Emerging Technology: The Smart Board

Emerging Technology: The Smartboard Technology for Schools:
The days of chalkboard and white board are becoming obsolete in most schools because of the introduction of smartboard technology.

Use of the SMART Board technology offers several advantages within the classroom setting by helping to address the diverse range of students that are visual, auditory or even tactile learners. Through experience the interactive whiteboard provided multiple ways to represent information in a science laboratory setting. Interactive text, images, sound and video flies helped engage all learners. The tactile approach to learning by using the touch-sensitive board included using the finger or pen tool to increase student engagement with instant tactile access to digital resources for each laboratory when the interactive whiteboard was used. In addition, whiteboard sessions capture audio and video files for future use for distance education, or even for students who were absent. Using the interactive whiteboard creates the opportunity for students to do pair and share learning activities by using the SMART airliners. The airliners link to the main whiteboard through Bluetooth technology, therefore students can work within groups without leaving their work stations or even coming to the whiteboard. One of the greatest advantages of using this technology is that it motivates teachers to incorporate and develop more digital resources and include them in class lessons. Overall, the interactive whiteboards engage a wide variety of students in the learning process.

There are however some problems relating to the use of this technology in schools. One area and probably the most important is the cost. Most inner school districts cannot afford to provide this technology to their schools. The training that is available does not address the vast need of some of the older teachers who are not comfortable adapting to new technology in teaching. The cost of operating a successful smartboard involves additional energy cost and special classroom fixtures to accommodate the equipments. On the technical aspect, I think there is need to simplify the operational procedure in order to ease adaptation.

References:
Smartboard Interactive Technology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_Board_interactive_whiteboard
Smart- Educator Resources:
http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/ed+Resource/